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It’s an hour and a half by car from Veliko Tarnovo to get to the low-key ski resort of Uzana. A perfect place for children, novice skiers and those of a nervous disposition who still want to give skiing a go. Lessons are approximately 25 leva (£12.50) an hour including ski’s, poles and boots. There are no funicular lifts because the runs are short but there are those mad pulley sort of arrangements to get you back up to the top of the slopes. Uzana differs from Bansko and other ski places in south east Bulgaria by being quiet, refined, small and charming. Good hot chocolate from the resort hotels too.
www.uzana-tourism.com
Google map: bit.ly/AEWCfh
Along with Bansko and Pamporovo, Borovets is one of the most popular destinations for skiing and snowboarding in Bulgaria. In my opinion it is the best place to go because there aren't many people, especially if you go on my personal favourite slopes Yastrebetz (1,2 and 3), Popangelov and Markudjik (1 and 2). It is near the capital - Sofia, you need an hour and a half or two to get there, so you can leave in the morning and be there by 10am, register in a hotel, guest house or a villa, eat something and be ready to go skiing or snowboarding by noon. You can buy a half-day lift pass which is 25 levas (about 13 euros) on the weekends and you can start using it at 12pm - the lift pass is for all the facilities in Borovets.
I was there this weekend and we stayed at a guest house, where we paid 20 levas (10 euros) per bed for one night, which is cheap, considering we are in the middle of the ski season. It was an amazing weekend, the weather was great, it was sunny, there was a lot of snow, all the slopes were fabulous.
www.borovets-bg.com/en
Google map: bit.ly/y1GnUt
A nice restaurant in the heart of Sofia, very close to the main landscapes. It is interesting with the ancient Roman wall passing through the restaurant and also with the nice paintings (the restaurant has expositions of Bulgarian artists). The food and the wines are very good, the service is quite attentive. They have also a nice bar to continue the evening ...
www.maisongodet.com
17 Al. Stamboliyski Blvd
+359 980 74 77
Google map: bit.ly/rU5YdS
I thoroughly recommend the area as a walking (or nature) holiday. The area is in SE Bulgaria, on the border with Turkey. It has exceptionally contrasting landscapes from the undeveloped coast of the Black Sea to low mountains and hilly landscapes with steep river valleys. It can be visited into September/ October. It allows a glimpse into the unspoilt rural Bulgaria of quiet villages with ramshackle houses surrounded by fruit trees and well-tended vegetables. Oak woodland cloaks the hills with some stunning open, flower-rich fields with goats (and I saw water buffalo) herded by shepherds.
One particularly impressive area was the broad meanders of the untamed Veleka River or the old forest, called the ‘Living Museum’ for its ancient trees, at Kondolovo.
Local culture is still strong, though threatened by abandonment. I attended a chapel blessing, involving much dancing and eating kurban, a local speciality – a stew made from a sacrificial lamb.
Strandja is easy to reach by flights to Burgas and hiring a car. I was superbly guided by Anja and Dave from VisitStrandja and they could speak Bulgarian, English, Dutch and German!
We stayed with Piste and Peaks in Chalet Diana for our 2nd holiday in Bansko and it was better than ever.
You can see big improvements in Bansko after just one year and the slopes were very well looked after. The lessons with Ski Mania were excellent - the instructors were great with the kids and they really improved over the week.
The food was great (I think they won an award for the cooking) and the sauna was just what we needed at the end of the day!
I think we are going to join them in Italy next year but we'll be back to Bansko for another low cost ski holiday with the kids very soon.
www.pisteandpeaks.com
Google map: bit.ly/cfhIhB
+44 (0)161 408 2089
Bulgaria is rapidly becoming a popular tourist destination and a number of big and small hotels are opening every year. On HotelBeam Bulgaria list there are a number of independent hotels which can be contacted directly which is good because some of these hotels are small and locally managed and are not well connected to travel agencies.
Chalet Soltir is run by an English couple. The house is 150 years old and completely renovated. It's fully catered chalet sleeping 12 people with all the mod cons and luxury you would get in a French chalet but at half the price. Our holiday was the best we had for years. The snow was great and the kids loved it.
www.whitechaletsbansko.com
00359 895 386 856
Set in the heart of the Rila National Park, this hostel is the chicest place to stay if you're planning on hitting the slopes at Borovets ski resort, just ten minutes away.
We missed out on the snow, but enjoyed hiking and mountain biking around Lake Iskar. Great for thrill-seekers, the owners also organise wakeboarding, waterskiing, sailing, and fishing on the lake, and horse riding or off-road motor biking.
Despite the rugged setting, surrounded by acres of flora and fauna, the rooms are surprisingly stylish and large apartments.
The restaurant will even prepare a packed lunch for a day in the great outdoors, and the swimming pool and jacuzzi are a welcome respite after a hard day's hike!
On arrival at either the main railway or bus station, or airport, march straight to the OK taxi desk for your trip to the city centre: They will give you the fair rate. Don't even think about responding to any of the touts you'll encounter.
On arrival
Is the spelling as Guardian spelt it, or Turnovo? Who knows - I saw it spelt both ways many times in the town itself. Anyway, it rocks, it's cooler than Sofia by a country mile. Great view from anywhere in town, great bars, and great restaurants, althought after the free (light) dinner you might just want to have a night in the hostel lounge drinking beer from the fridge and playing cards with the staff... The Hostel Mostel staff go the extra mile to help you out and Eva told us off all the best places, like BaR DaDa, and Bar Scandal. The address was on a road something like Indicko, not all the cabbies know it so phone ahead and get the details.
Just google hostel mostel - they have good web presence!
A shop selling all manner of arts and crafts, modern and traditional - jewellery, textiles, ceramics, textiles.
Apparently run as a charity, this is a Fairtrade outlet. An excellent place for quality presents
36 Bld Vasil Levski (opposite Hotel Downtown)
tel 02 981 77 65
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